Things to Do in East Hill-Meridian

The 90-minute stroll through Seattle’s micro-China starts at the Chinatown-International District. A friendly and engaging guide leads tours through authentic Asian markets, whirling with bustling merchants, brightly colored goods, and savory smells of incense or freshly roasted duck. As you learn the history and significance of historical landmarks, the diverse languages of the city's Asian community co-mingle melodiously in the air, and the spirit of a culture thousands of years old flits through the incomparable Seattle neighborhood like a flutterbug in a bag of cotton balls.

The show itself, the biggest on the West Coast, offers a boater’s paradise of boaty boating boatitude with more boats than you can shake an oar at. You’ll get to see, and shop, more than a thousand recreational watercraft, including inflatables, tugs, yachts, and the somewhat impractical flying cruise liner. Exhibitors include the 13th Coast Guard District, Alaska Series Inflatable Boats, Blue Water Yachts, Harbor Marine, Mastercraft Boat Company, Viking Life Saving Equipment, and Yachtcare, LLC. Seminar topics, will cover all of the ins and outs of fishing, boat maintenance, first aid, picking up mermaid hitchhikers, and other maritime concerns.

The Children's Museum, Seattle inspires curiosity and creativity in children between 10 months and 10 years with 22,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits that explore science, arts, and cultural education. The museum's collection of permanent exhibits boosts brainpower with feats of engineering, miniature global villages, an aquarium, and a theater, where kids can don costumes and reenact famous monologues from Sponge Bob. The museum heightens the joy of discovery with such activities as summer camps, birthday parties, partnership outreach, and after-hours events.

From its birth more than 80 years ago, The 5th Avenue Theater has grown into a cultural leader in the Northwest, enlightening eager audiences with performances both elegant and entertaining. The three-show package grants eyes and ears admission to a series of family-friendly productions served course by course, like a fancy meal or a day of binge golfing. Begin with an appetizer of laughter, friendship, and premeditated workplace revenge in 9 to 5: The Musical from April 5–April 10. Follow three unlikely friends through a plot to conquer their company, while they sing along to the Grammy-nominated score penned by Dolly Parton. Then, satisfy gambling glands May 17–May 22 with Guys & Dolls, a tale of gangsters, gals, love triangles, and suspense quadrilaterals, set to the music of Frank Loesser. Finish the tuneful trifecta July 12–July 17 with Aladdin: The New Stage Musical, a sweet tale of courage and friendship based on the animated film. Relish new and treasured melodies by Alan Menken as acclaimed director Casey Nicholaw offers spectators a magic carpet ride in his '83 Ford Taurus.

The buzz of motors rises and falls as bright-red blurs zip around the track at PGP Motorsports Park. Here, in the shadow of Mount Rainier, racers ages 15 and older loop around an 8/10-mile track at speeds of up to 48 miles per hour, leaning back in the ergonomic seats of Italian-built Birel N35 karts. The 30-foot-wide asphalt track can be altered to take on 12 different configurations and is centered in a velodrome, which puts spectators at an elevated angle so they get a good line of sight no matter where they sit.

For safety reasons, drivers should wear long sleeves and pants and closed-toe shoes. Drivers are equipped with helmets and driving suits, and since races take place rain or shine, they will also be provided with rain gear that includes waterproof gloves and booties.

At Wrench Bicycle Workshop, mechanical experts Buck and Greg help maintain patrons' eco-friendly commuting machines with a comprehensive list of bicycle services. The specialists call upon nearly 30 years of combined experience as they adjust brakes, true wheels, and clean drivetrain systems. The duo services, rebuilds, and repairs all types of cycles. They also host a loaner program, which equips riders with Scott Sub 30 bikes while their personal steeds are resting up and conspiring against neighborhood birds with Ben, the shop’s welcoming dog.